Iran has slammed the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for turning a blind eye to real issues of the Muslim world, particularly the Palestine crisis, at this sensitive juncture and, instead, fabricating baseless accusations against Iran and others.

In a statement on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi rejected the final statement of the 38th GCC Summit, which came to an end in Kuwait on Tuesday.

“Instead of addressing the main issues of the Muslim world, supporting the oppressed Palestinian people and [condemning] the provocative plan for the relocation of US Embassy to holy al-Quds, the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council has merely addressed issues which have no value, and explicitly evaded its Islamic and humane responsibility with regard to Palestine,” he said.

The statement came hours after US President Donald Trump defied global warnings and said the US formally recognizes Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel, and will begin the process of moving its embassy to the occupied city, breaking with decades of American policy.

While the closing statement of the latest GCC summit failed to condemn Trump’s previously announced plans, it mainly focused on repeating allegations against Iran over its growing regional influence as well the Arab bloc’s uncorroborated accusations against Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance group and Yemen’s Ansarullah movement.

The photo shows the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait City on December 5, 2017. (By AFP)

Qassemi further noted that the recent GCC statement “proves the ineffectiveness and impotency of the council, which is already suffering from internal disputes and unrealistic policies.”

The Iranian diplomat also pointed to the Saudi-led war against Yemen which has led to the killing of thousands of people in the impoverished country since 2015, slamming the GCC for keeping silent on the everyday crimes of Riyadh and its accomplices.

Qassemi called on the GCC to understand the realities of the region, prevent its member states from invading other countries and respect the civil rights of their own citizens.

The senior diplomat also condemned the GCC’s claims on Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands in the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb, noting, “Such baseless and false claims cannot change historical and legal facts.”

Qassemi expressed Iran’s preparedness to hold dialogue with the GCC members in an attempt to resolve the regional issues, noting “the use of force, massacre of nations and reliance on foreigners cannot” cannot help settle regional issues.